boiler quote

w00519773

I live in a three bed; two storey semi detached house that has twelve radiators (most have thermostatic valves).  i currently have a standard boiler (Potterton he 85), which is located in the airing cupboard in the middle of the house i.e. not on an outside wall.  i have one bathtub and two showers.  The flue is located on an outside wall.  The cold tap flow rate is aver(age.  i live in Lincoln.  My current boiler is in full working order, but it is expensive to ensure (£65 PCM) as it is 18 years old (wandering whether now is the right time to replace it).

I was provided this quote to replace my Potterton he 85:

Worcester 30KW 4000 10 year guarantee: £3,179

Upgrade to WB Comfort+: £40

Is this quote reasonable? My research here is telling me it is: https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/cost-of-new-boiler I.e. 3-4 bedroom average is £3000.  My research here is also telling me it is reasonable: https://msm-boiler.comparisoncreator.com/quote/

I had one other quote of £2,800.  However this was from a call centre I.e. they said they would only inspect the boiler on the day they replace it.  The company I have chosen recently replaced my neighbours boiler and they were happy with the work.

Boohoo

w00519773 said:

I live in a three bed; two storey semi detached house that has twelve radiators (most have thermostatic valves).  i currently have a standard boiler (Potterton he 85), which is located in the airing cupboard in the middle of the house i.e. not on an outside wall.  i have one bathtub and two showers.  The flue is located on an outside wall.  The cold tap flow rate is aver(age.  i live in Lincoln.  My current boiler is in full working order, but it is expensive to ensure (£65 PCM) as it is 18 years old (wandering whether now is the right time to replace it).

I was provided this quote to replace my Potterton he 85:

Worcester 30KW 4000 10 year guarantee: £3,179

Upgrade to WB Comfort+: £40

Is this quote reasonable? My research here is telling me it is: https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/cost-of-new-boiler I.e. 3-4 bedroom average is £3000.  My research here is also telling me it is reasonable: https://msm-boiler.comparisoncreator.com/quote/

I had one other quote of £2,800.  However this was from a call centre I.e. they said they would only inspect the boiler on the day they replace it.  The company I have chosen recently replaced my neighbours boiler and they were happy with the work.

Why are you paying £65 pm JUST to insure the boiler?

You could stop that monthly amount and self insure and just service the boiler once a year and when boiler breaks down you will have money in the bank to pay for a new one.

As for the quote have you tried other next day boiler installation firms like BOXT , I had my boiler done by them and they were good and lower priced than a local installer.

vacheron

Boohoo said:

w00519773 said:

I live in a three bed; two storey semi detached house that has twelve radiators (most have thermostatic valves).  i currently have a standard boiler (Potterton he 85), which is located in the airing cupboard in the middle of the house i.e. not on an outside wall.  i have one bathtub and two showers.  The flue is located on an outside wall.  The cold tap flow rate is aver(age.  i live in Lincoln.  My current boiler is in full working order, but it is expensive to ensure (£65 PCM) as it is 18 years old (wandering whether now is the right time to replace it).

I was provided this quote to replace my Potterton he 85:

Worcester 30KW 4000 10 year guarantee: £3,179

Upgrade to WB Comfort+: £40

Is this quote reasonable? My research here is telling me it is: https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/cost-of-new-boiler I.e. 3-4 bedroom average is £3000.  My research here is also telling me it is reasonable: https://msm-boiler.comparisoncreator.com/quote/

I had one other quote of £2,800.  However this was from a call centre I.e. they said they would only inspect the boiler on the day they replace it.  The company I have chosen recently replaced my neighbours boiler and they were happy with the work.

Why are you paying £65 pm JUST to insure the boiler?

You could stop that monthly amount and self insure and just service the boiler once a year and when boiler breaks down you will have money in the bank to pay for a new one.

As for the quote have you tried other next day boiler installation firms like BOXT , I had my boiler done by them and they were good and lower priced than a local installer.

This /|\ 

The quotes seem reasonable, but why replace a working boiler just because of insanely expensive insurance? Cancel that insurance and put the savings aside for when it actually does irreparably or un-economically break.
If you get another 3.5 years out of your currrent one, you next boiler was basicallty free!  

We bought our house in 2010 upon which I inherited an already 5 year old Potterton Suprima 60 boiler.

In those 15 years we have never had it serviced, and it has cost me a grand total of £55 for a reconditioned flue fan assembly and £40 for a new mid position valve, both of which I fitted myself. 

If I was paying £65 per month for insurance it would have cost me £11,700 in just insurance to cover those £95 worth of parts, and I would still have a 20 year old boiler!

WIAWSNB

Hi w00.
First, as the others have said. I'd agree that if your boiler is currently working, then cancel that extortionate warranty cost. 
This Pott HE85 is a floor mounted beast, yes? I am familiar with them as sil has one, also approaching 20 years old. I've even done a few (water side) jobs on it. 
They are simple boilers, and pretty reliable. The issue is that some parts will be becoming harder to get, but most are still ok. Some repair folk will claim it's BER due to parts, when these bits can still be obtained. 
We've also found that most GasSafes won't touch it, but fortunately we do have one who will - which is good for him as they were fitted to many dozens of houses around here.
The Pott can use a twin 2.5-3" plastic flue, which means that awkward routes from the boiler to the outside can be tackled. Make sure the replacement can do this too if standard flue access is an issue.
This WB 4000, is that also a floor mounted hiflow jobbie? Ie, with a small built-in DHW reservoir? If so, that £3k quote seems very good - we had one installed at a yoof club recently, and it was over £4k, for a very simple install.
If, however, it's 'just' a 'combi' boiler, then the initial performance might not be as good as you are used to - it won't have this pre-heated reservoir, so two demands on DHW will make it compromise.
Dedicated WB controls? I'd say yes.
The £2.8k quote - if they turn up and say, "Ooh, harder to install than we thought, so that's another £300, can you turn them away, or are you 'committed'?
Finally, is there anywhere else a boiler can be installed if it's a smaller wall-mounted jobbie that can be placed against an outside wall? Utility room? Kitchen? Garage?

bjorn_toby_wilde

We have a contract with a local plumber which includes an annual boiler service and safety checks on the megaflo, plus parts and labour cover for the heating system. They charge £23 a month for that so I think you’re definitely overpaying for your insurance.

Your quotes seem reasonable if you decide to replace the boiler, although I wouldn’t personally. You can check the Worcester one by going to their website and entering the details of your property. Their website will generate a shortlist of boiler options and a quote for you.

GlitterMedusa

I echo the previous 'ditch the insurance, keep the boiler' comments.

I bought my flat in 1999, the Potterton boiler which was there was installed when the place was built in 1990. My gas guy said that they were sturdy things, easy to fix and to hang on to it for as long as possible.
When I eventually changed it, it was 32 years old - still working at that point - but other things needed doing and it was the opportunity to change it at the same time. During all those years, the Potterton worked flawlessly. I'd get it serviced every 2-3 years and I had to have the pump and the diverter valves changed once, but no work was ever required on the boiler itself.

WIAWSNB

Perhaps a warranty of that cost might include full boiler replacement cover on BER - does it?

ButterCheese

w00519773 said:

I live in a three bed; two storey semi detached house that has twelve radiators (most have thermostatic valves).  i currently have a standard boiler (Potterton he 85), which is located in the airing cupboard in the middle of the house i.e. not on an outside wall.  i have one bathtub and two showers.  The flue is located on an outside wall.  The cold tap flow rate is aver(age.  i live in Lincoln.  My current boiler is in full working order, but it is expensive to ensure (£65 PCM) as it is 18 years old (wandering whether now is the right time to replace it).

I was provided this quote to replace my Potterton he 85:

Worcester 30KW 4000 10 year guarantee: £3,179

Upgrade to WB Comfort+: £40

Is this quote reasonable? My research here is telling me it is: https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/cost-of-new-boiler I.e. 3-4 bedroom average is £3000.  My research here is also telling me it is reasonable: https://msm-boiler.comparisoncreator.com/quote/

I had one other quote of £2,800.  However this was from a call centre I.e. they said they would only inspect the boiler on the day they replace it.  The company I have chosen recently replaced my neighbours boiler and they were happy with the work.

I had the exact same boiler fitted in the loft for £2750 from a reputable local company, so that seems ok

Eldi_Dos

I agree the cost of the boiler cover of £65 pcm is not good value, it usually signals that the company does not want to keep a stores inventory for that model of boiler anymore. I would not rush to condemn any sort of boiler cover as unwise till more is known about a household and its occupants. What is the EPC of a house, who lives in it all have a bearing.

A household with a couple of active teenagers and a couple of healthy 40 somethings would be able to cope better than a household with a poor EPC and occupants who are older and may have health issues if a boiler packed in during a prolonged cold spell and replacement parts took longer than normal to source.

If it was me I would get the boiler replaced with a good warranty of around ten years and take out a plan for them to service the boiler, thus keeping warranty up to date.

The company I am with email around a month before service is due and it is very easy to arrange a service appointment on their website. It is something that can be overlooked by people so it is good to get a reminder.

w00519773

ButterCheese said:

w00519773 said:

I live in a three bed; two storey semi detached house that has twelve radiators (most have thermostatic valves).  i currently have a standard boiler (Potterton he 85), which is located in the airing cupboard in the middle of the house i.e. not on an outside wall.  i have one bathtub and two showers.  The flue is located on an outside wall.  The cold tap flow rate is aver(age.  i live in Lincoln.  My current boiler is in full working order, but it is expensive to ensure (£65 PCM) as it is 18 years old (wandering whether now is the right time to replace it).

I was provided this quote to replace my Potterton he 85:

Worcester 30KW 4000 10 year guarantee: £3,179

Upgrade to WB Comfort+: £40

Is this quote reasonable? My research here is telling me it is: https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/cost-of-new-boiler I.e. 3-4 bedroom average is £3000.  My research here is also telling me it is reasonable: https://msm-boiler.comparisoncreator.com/quote/

I had one other quote of £2,800.  However this was from a call centre I.e. they said they would only inspect the boiler on the day they replace it.  The company I have chosen recently replaced my neighbours boiler and they were happy with the work.

I had the exact same boiler fitted in the loft for £2750 from a reputable local company, so that seems ok

Thanks.  when did you have the boiler installed? I know costs have increased a lot recently due to inflation.

w00519773

I’ve been quoted £3,200 for a Worcester 4000 30kW combi boiler (includes removal and disposal of the old one). My current boiler is a Potterton HE85, and the job involves a conversion from a standard boiler to a combi in a 3-bed house in Lincolnshire.

I’d really appreciate hearing what others have paid recently for their installations — ideally including:

• Boiler make and model

• Type of job (e.g. combi to combi, system/regular to combi, back boiler replacement, etc.)

• Location (city or county is fine)

• House size (number of bedrooms, showers, baths – if you don’t mind sharing)

• Rough date of installation

It would be great to get a sense of what’s reasonable in different parts of the UK.